Refugees a threat to national security: case study Kenya

A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the award of the degree of Bachelor of law of Strathmore University.The main aim of this research is to investigate whether refugees pose a threat to the national security of Kenya. The objects of the study were: to investigate whether refugees portend any security threats in Kenya, to establish for policy recommendation whether screening measures currently in place are able to separate criminals that do not deserve international protection at Kenyan borders, airports and sea entry points and to determine whether drastic government measures to deter hosting of criminal elements among refugees has had any consequences on genuine refugees. The target population of the research consisted of: refugees, government officials and host communities. This study employed secondary data, with data retrieved from various databases such as Hein Online, JSTOR and Lex is Nexis. Analysis of the media reports and statutes on refugees and national security in Kenya was also used. The study recommends that Kenya has an obligation of providing security to its citizens and also to protect the physical security of refugees living in its camps. There is therefore the need to strike a balance between obeying international obligations and that of protecting national interests

Barriers to implementing urban plans in Kenya

Despite a long history of urban planning, Kenyan towns are still characterized by informality, uncoordinated development, urban sprawl, and congestion. Government documents and reports acknowledge that, despite planning, no deliberate effort has been made to implement plans. Little is known about what impedes plan implementation in Kenya. This study sought to develop an in-depth understanding of the barriers to plan implementation from the perspectives of public officials responsible for planning. Using path dependency theory, forwarded by Pierson, and force field analysis, advanced by Lewin, the research questions focused on legal and institutional development, as well as on the nature of relationships between different actors as possible sources of hindrances to plan implementation. Data for this qualitative study accrued through reviews of documents relating to urban planning and interviews with officials in different categories, with a focus on three case cities: Nairobi, Nakuru, and Eldoret. A total of 14 participants, 10 from the city level, included county legislators; 4 from the national government level were interviewed. The data obtained were analyzed qualitatively using multiple-level coding and direct interpretation to create themes. The themes that emerged included politics and vested interests, financial, legal regime, institutional setup, land tenure, and quality of the plans. Study findings may be useful in informing planning authorities on how to restructure the preparation and implementation of urban plans

Influence of Agroforestry on Rural Income and Livelihood of Smallholder Farmers in the Semi Arid Region of Sub Saharan Africa

Semi arid lands typically suffer from sustainable land use challenges including climate variability, declining agricultural productivity, low economic prowess and poor livelihood conditions. In order to sustainably address these challenges, agroforestry has been fronted as a critical entry point allowing for the integration of trees on farms and diversification of production in agricultural landscapes. Nevertheless, the contribution of agroforestry to socio-economic and rural livelihood in several developing countries remains debatable. This study determined the influence of agroforestry on rural income and livelihood of smallholder farmers in Machakos County (Kenya). The study was conducted using stratified, random sampling. Data were collected using questionnaires and interviews. Results showed that agroforestry was adopted by 82% of the respondents as a strategy for livelihood improvement in the region. Total income was higher among adopters from timber, fuel wood, posts/poles and fodder. Adopters also had more money to spend on food, clothing, education, medicine and basic needs as a result of revenues from agroforestry. The overall gross revenue, net returns above variable costs and total costs were also higher among adopters compared to the non adopters due to sales of agroforestry products. The study recommends adoption of agroforestry as a strategy to boost rural income and livelihood.Keywords: Agroforestry, Socio-economic, Rural income, Livelihood, Machakos, Sub Saharan Afric

Determining the Optimal Portfolio Size on the Nairobi Securities Exchange

There is consensus that diversification results in risk reduction. However there is no consensus on the number of securities required for maximum risk diversification. Studies done on different capital markets have yielded differing results. This study aimed at determining the optimal portfolio size for investors on the Nairobi Securities Exchange in Kenya. The study used mean variance optimization model and secondary data consisting of monthly security returns over a five year period from January 2009 to December 2013. Forty three of the sixty listed firms had complete information on monthly security returns and were used in the study. Portfolios of different sizes were formed by random selection of securities and the portfolio risk was computed. The study found that portfolio risk reduced as the number of securities in the portfolio increased but beyond the optimal portfolio size the risk started rising again. The optimal portfolio size in the Nairobi Securities Exchange was found to lie between 18 and 22 securities

Intent to destroy an ethnic group: a failed promise of in Dubio Pro Reo?

Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements of the Bachelor of Laws Degree, Strathmore University Law School" ... the crime of genocide is singled out for special condemnation and opprobrium. The crime is horrific in its scope; its perpetrators identify entire human groups for extinction. Those who devise and implement genocide seek to deprive humanity of the manifold richness its nationalities, races, ethnicities and religions provide. This is a crime against all of humankind, its harm being felt not only by the group targeted for destruction, but by all of humanity ... "2 The year 1948 brought with it the Convention on the Prevention on Punishment of the crime of Genocide (hereinafter the Convention), the first form of codification of law with regards to the crime of genocide.3 Subsequent statutes like the Rome Statute4, the ICTR statute5 and the ICTY statute 6 borrow the language put down in the Convention verbatim. Naturally, one would conclude that the considerations and conclusions of the drafters of the Genocide Convention were indeed the most universally accepted such that subsequent drafters adopted their language almost entirely.

The Roles of Necroptosis in the Pathogenesis of Staphylococcus aureus Infection

Staphylococcus aureus, particularly the epidemic methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) USA300 strain, is a major cause of severe necrotizing lung, skin and systemic infection. Although these infections are generally attributed to the pathogen’s multiple toxins, exactly how S. aureus cause disease is not clearly defined. In this research, we sought to establish the role of necroptosis, a programmed form of necrosis, in the pathophysiology of S. aureus pneumonia, skin infection and sepsis. S. aureus, mainly through its multiple toxins, induced RIPK1/RIPK3/MLKL-mediated necroptosis in multiple host cells including human cell lines, freshly obtained alveolar macrophages, peripheral blood macrophages and epithelial cells. S. aureus toxin-associated pore-formation was essential for necroptosis, as cell death was blocked by exogenous K+ or dextran as well as by MLKL inhibition. To understand the role of necroptosis in S. aureus pneumonia, we used Ripk3-/- mice and mice treated with necrostatin-1s (Nec-1s), a potent inhibitor of RIPK1. Inhibition of necroptosis in a mouse model of pneumonia led to significantly improved outcome from S. aureus infection marked by increased bacterial clearance, preserved lung architecture, decreased inflammatory markers in the airway and retention of an anti-inflammatory macrophage population. In contrast, inhibiting necroptosis in vivo during skin infection led to worse outcome as determined by bacterial clearance and lesion sizes, which occurred in spite of the presence of neutrophils, macrophages and γδ T cells. Nec-1s-treated mice and Mlkl-/- mice had significantly larger lesions, increased cytokine response and more S. aureus recovered from the infected areas compared to control groups. We observed a similar outcome in Casp1/4-/- mice, which have limited ability to process IL-1β. Unlike Mlkl-/- mice, Ripk3-/- mice had improved outcome with increased bacterial clearance and decreased inflammation because of the effects of RIPK3 in activating the NLRP3 inflammasome and apoptosis during S. aureus skin infection. Casp1/4-/- immune cells showed a significant defect in their ability to kill S. aureus, whereas Mlkl-/- peritoneal exudate cells and bone marrow-derived macrophages did not. These results show that caspase-1 is essential for bacterial killing whereas necroptosis is necessary for regulating excessive inflammation. Similar to our findings in skin infection, inhibition of the executioner of necroptosis (using Mlkl-/- mice) or pyroptosis (using Casp1/4-/- mice) decreased survival in a mouse model of S. aureus sepsis. Ripk3-/- and wild type mice were equally resistant to S. aureus sepsis. Overall, these findings provide new insights into the complex roles of necrosome components in different tissues during S. aureus infection and may provide potential therapeutic targets to combat these infections

Assessment of Heavy Metal Contamination in Surface Water of Masinga Reservoir, Kenya

An assessment of heavy metal contamination (Cu, Zn, Pb, Cr, Mn and Cd) in surface water of Masinga reservoir was carried out between January 2013 and December 2013. The heavy metal Concentrations were determined using atomic absorption spectrophotometer (AAS). The data obtained was analyzed using one way analysis of variance and significant differences accepted at p ? 0.05. Post Hoc Tukeys’ test was used to separate means. The mean metal concentrations (mg L-1) were; Cu (0.003 - 0.019), Zn (0.092 - 0.132), Pb (0.004 - 0.009), Cr (0.003 - 0.006) and Mn (0.006 - 0.146). No significant differences were observed in heavy metal concentrations in surface water among the different sites. The concentrations for all metals in surface water did not exceed the WHO recommended limit for drinking water. Key Words: Water Quality, Heavy Metals, Contamination, Masinga Reservoi

The Relationship between Profits and Dividend Payout of Commercial Banks in Kenya

This study analyzed the relationship between profits and dividend payout of commercial banks in Kenya. The research was based on the ten commercial banks consistently listed at the NSE for the five-year period from 2008 to 2012 inclusive.  Simple and multiple linear regressions were used to determine the relationship between dividend payout and profits. The key finding of the study is that there is a strong positive relationship between profits and dividend payout. This study is consistent with empirical findings of Abdi (2010) who found that dividend payout positively correlate with future profits of companies though the relationship is low. Keywords: Profits, Dividend Payout, Dividend Irrelevance Theory, Dividend Preference Theory, Tax Effect Theory, Clientele Effect Theory, Information Content Theory and the Agency Cost and Free Cash Flow Hypothesis

Determination of Heavy Metals in Sediments of Masinga Reservoir, Kenya.

In Kenya, heavy metal pollution in aquatic ecosystems due to anthropogenic activities cannot be underestimated. Therefore, an assessment of heavy metal contamination (Cu, Zn, Pb, Cr and Mn) in sediments of Masinga reservoir was carried out between January 2013 and December 2013 in five sampling sites. Heavy metal Concentrations were determined using atomic absorption spectrophotometer (AAS). The data obtained was analyzed using one way analysis of variance and significant differences accepted at p ? 0.05. Post Hoc Turkeys’ test was used to separate means. Mean heavy metal concentrations (mg/kg) in sediments were Cu (11.38 – 23.67), Zn (60.04 – 75.84), Pb (11.14 – 14.47), Cr (21.39-49.62) and Mn (259.12 – 642.30). There were significant differences in metal concentrations recorded for Cu, Cr, and Mn (p < 0.05) between the sites. The concentrations for all metals in sediments were lower than World Health Organization (WHO) set limit except for Cr at Tumutumu sampling site. The high Cr concentration is an indication of untreated or inadequately treated industrial and sewage wastes from the catchment. Key Words: Heavy metals, Contamination, sediments, Masinga reservoi